A call or vocation can begin in many different ways

Rt Rev. Mark Sowerby, Bishop of Horsham

Over the past few months, we have seen countless posters imploring us to join the ‘brexit’ or ‘remain’ voters.

A century ago, the posters were telling young men ‘Your Country Needs You.’

Both kinds of poster invite us to ‘join up’ and to swell the ranks of one kind or another.

Both are calling people up, inviting them to commitment and to action.

At this time of the year, the church commissions new clergy.

Those new clergy have responded to a call-up too.

Their call might have begun with a poster or a leaflet, or it might have arisen out of a talk or something they have read.

It might well have begun with a conversation or a suggestion.

A ‘call’ or ‘vocation’ (they mean the same thing), can begin in many different ways and it can be to almost anything.

A true call (or vocation) is a mixture of external influences and deep internal conviction resulting in commitment and action.

Once suggestion and internal conviction have melted into a person’s outlook and understanding, they create passion.

Sometimes that passion is for teaching (our country needs teachers) or public service, or justice, or for The Gospel of Jesus Christ.

That passion, that vocation, is what we are made for.

Faith Matters:

Called to Serve

A former Blacksmith, a parliamentary speechwriter and a blogger are among 15 candidates about to enter ministry in the Church of England across the Diocese of Chichester. The 15 women and men will be ordained deacons by the Bishop of Chichester, Dr Martin Warner, at a special service in Chichester Cathedral this Saturday (25 June) at 3pm.

Parishes from St Leonard’s to Broadbridge Heath and from Rudgwick to Angmering as well as Brighton and Hove will all receive new curates. Many of the candidates are completing a long process of discernment after experiencing a call to serve as ministers in the Church of England.

Ringing the Bells for Blood Cancer Sufferers

Julie McDonnell is a bell ringer from Hastings, East Sussex who was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) in 2015. She has helped organize a ‘walk and ring’ for tomorrow along the historic Pilgrims’ Way all the way to Canterbury Cathedral. They are aiming to raise £100,000 and to add 1,000 potential stem cell donors to the Anthony Nolan and associated registers.

For more information and details on how to sponsor the event see: http://juliedmcdonnell.wix.com/strikeback

See Behind the Scenes at Chichester Cathedral

On Saturday 2nd July from 11.00am – 2.00pm. Areas of the Cathedral normally closed to the public will be open to visitors as part of the Festival of Chichester. Free entry, all are welcome.